


On meeting the family

by elspethpoppy



Series: The Effie Grayson chronicles [1]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-01
Updated: 2015-02-01
Packaged: 2018-03-10 00:34:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3270119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elspethpoppy/pseuds/elspethpoppy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spock wants Nyota to meet his family.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On meeting the family

**Author's Note:**

> Ive been wondering about Spocks family and growing up not quite belonging anywhere. I guess I wanted him to have a friend. All mistakes are my own.

Spock stands in the doorway to her quarters. He hasn't looked this nervous since he was first invited in to her academy dorm room, almost two years ago. She had made sure Gaila was out, but he had looked like a little boy. Well, as much as Vulcans did.

"What is it Spock?" she rises from the bed and closes her PADD on the novel she had been reading, walking over to him in measured strides so as not to spook him.

"As you know Nyota, we are due to arrive back on Earth in three days time for repairs. We are scheduled in for four months R and R in that time. Whilst I shall mostly be lecturing in the academy I have arranged to meet my cousin whilst I have the opportunity." He has said all of this whilst staring somewhere above her head, as if it is a cardinal sin to have any family.

That's not to say she isn't surprised. Nyota presumed all of his family that he kept in contact with apart from his father had perished when Vulcan was destroyed.

"I have not seen her since my mothers funeral,-" Spock began.

Nyota only knew about the funeral three weeks after it happened. She knew Amanda Grayson had a family; that was obvious. And she knew that they grieved for her. She also knew that Spock didn't get on with them, finding them all a little too boisterous for his liking when his mother had bought him for visits. Vulcans are slightly more fragile as children than humans are, and Spock - having been an only child - did not appreciate all of his cousins pulling on his ears. He had admitted to Nyota, one night as they were wrapped around each other, that he had spent most of the time visiting his human family hiding under his mothers chair.

"-and I would very much like it if you would join me to meet her." he finished.

Nyota stared at him, stunned. She had only ever met Sarek, and that was only because he was rescued from Vulcan. She believes that Sarek is aware that she has a romantic entanglement with his son but they haven't been formerly introduced. For this she is glad. She finds the old Vulcan rather intimidating.  

"If you do not wish to attend it is quite understandable." Spock says quickly in response to the look on her face.

She smiles. "Are you saying you want me to meet your family?"

He blushes at the tips of his ears. "I would find it quite agreeable." He's staring ahead again instead of at her. She tilts his chin down and kisses him.

"Then I find it agreeable too."

 

Xxx

 

"Wonder what she's like." McCoy says as he contemplates the shot of whiskey in his hand.

"I have no idea. He hasn't told me anything. Just said that we're leaving for Edinburgh shuttle port in two point eight six weeks."

"Sounds like him."

They had started this early on. The two of them drinking in McCoy's office on quiet nights. Turns out, space is pretty boring. Sometimes other people join them like Sulu and Chekov. Or maybe Scotty. Jim often does when he's not playing poker in engineering.

"Sound like who?" the good Captain says as he strides in and plonks himself down in a chair, taking the spare shot glass on the table.

"Spock's taking me to meet his family." Nyota explains.

"Wow. Big step." Jim says, waving his glass. "He met any of yours yet? How long's it been?"

"Two years in June. And only my sister." she sighs.

Jims eyes bug. He probably can't imagine a relationship for more than two weeks let alone two years.

"Seriously? Wow. You guys are taking it slow."

"Shut up Jim." McCoy says. "Wish I'd gone that slow with Joce. We already had Jo-Jo on the way by the two year mark. Might've saved myself a lot of heart ache." He's staring at the bottom of his glass like it has all the answers. He's definitely sloshed. Noyota discreetly moves the bottle out of his reach.

"Aww, but Boooones. Then you wouldn't have met me! And I'm awesome." Jim whines.

"You're a manchild." Nyota throws back at him. Wow, maybe _she's_ drunk too much. She looks at the bottle. She could've sworn it was full when they started.

 

Xxx

 

They travel to Edinburgh two and a bit weeks later and then rent a car. The drive is another 2 hours at least into the highlands. This is where she thinks Scotty is from, but she can't be sure.

They go off the main arterial road through the highlands, gradually getting smaller and smaller until they end up on a very long, very bumpy, dirt track. Nyota now realises why Spock went for the Land Rover rather than the more plush estate hover cars. It never would have survived the journey. Eventually they reach a cottage situated rather idyllically at the end of a valley, a tarn with a small jetty nestles a little further up the mountain where the ground plateaus slightly before climbing up to the heavens with all the other surrounding mountains. There is smoke coming out of the chimney. Despite it being spring there is a chill in the damp air. Nyota gazes up at the stark landscape, this green lushness a heavy juxtaposition to the deserts of the original Vulcan. Yet she can see Spock is comfortable here. He's been antsy all the way from San Francisco but now the set of his shoulders is slightly more relaxed.

Spock slams his door shut and is collecting their bags from the trunk when there is a growling sound. She instantly tenses, years of Starfleet training gearing her up against wild animal attack. God it would be ironic, all those planets and she's killed in Scotland.

Spock just smirks and turns round as a great big hairy _beast_ pounces on him. Nyota wishes she has her phaser but the thing appears to be licking Spock for all it's worth. He's smiling and trying to push it off him, the equivalent of a laugh escaping from his chest. She has only heard the rasping sound once before, but she thinks it beautiful. She realises on closer inspection that the beast is in fact an oversized, very fluffy Sehlat. As quickly as it appeared it is seemingly yanked off of Spocks body by some invisible harness.

"For fucks sake Giles it's Spock! You do this to him every bloody time you daft animal!"

Nyota looks up toward the tarn where a woman is making her purposeful - if somewhat slow - way down the path towards them. Her hair is in a towel turban and her clothes are a little damp. The water in the tarn is disturbed and there are wet footprints leading into the small copse of trees from the jetty where she must have kept her clothes while she swam. There are bits of mud on the simple dress and her wellies. Her skin is an alarming shade of blue for a human but she doesn't seem to be cold in the light fabric and Spock doesn't seem concerned. In fact he is smiling warmly in a most un-spocklike manner as she makes her way down the path. She walks like an old woman, all slow and ceased up, which leads Noyota to think she has something wrong with her legs.

The Sehlat - Giles, odd name - slinks back up to her with his tail between his legs but wags it again as she raises her hand to pet the head that easily comes up to her elbow.

It takes her a good couple of minutes to walk down to them.

"Come on you lazy git! Meet me halfway."

Spock smiles and strides up to the woman who opens her arms. He embraces her wholeheartedly with a smile on his face.

"Hello space heater." she says as her arms wrap round him and squeeze.

"Really Effie, your need for nicknames is quite illogical."

"Whatever. You want me to go back to calling you cuddle bug?" He smiles down at her and kisses her forehead lightly. Nyota doesn't really know what to do. It feels as if she is intruding on something incredibly private. Spock's never like this. With anyone. Not even her, and she feels a little jealous pang at the thought.

"Get off you, let me have a look at her." Nyota looks back up at the cousins. The woman is clasping her hands together and grinning. Spock has an arm round her small form. It is as she is getting an appraisal from the woman that Nyota notices how similar they look. The same eyes and hair - she even has bangs poking out from the towel - and the same smile, in weird way. They could be siblings if it weren't for the ears. Her face is slightly rounder than his as well.

"Well," she says, jabbing him in the heart, "introduce us. Honestly," she now says to her, "no bloody manners."

Spock rolls his eyes and looks at Nyota. "Nyota, this is my cousin Effie. Effie, this is Nyota."

Effie grins and opens her arms for her. "I'd come down to you but it takes awhile." The two of them are standing by the front door with Giles trying to wedge himself between them. She walks from the car up to them and awkwardly embraces the other woman who squeezes her enthusiastically. She holds Nyotas face in her hands and looks at her features, frowning.

"You know, I can't say I'm not disappointed. The way this one goes on about you," - she motions an elbow to Spock - "you'd think you were some sort of Aphrodite personified. Never mind, eh?" her face is serious for a moment then splits into a grin. Nyota smiles back, aware this is a joke of some sort.

"Oh, I like this one." she says to Spock over her shoulder, hands still on Nyotas face, "She’s got spunk. Come in! Spock, put the kettle on."

 

Xxx

 

The two women sit down at Effies kitchen table while Spock gets the tea ready. Giles has a small armchair that he manages to fold himself into with a limb or two sticking out off to one side. It's a traditional cottage. There's even an old fashioned aga.

"It's solar powered." Effie says by way of explanation as she sees Nyota stare at it. There's a fire in the grate and bits of paper stuck up everywhere with doodles, paintings and hand written things on them. Nyota can't read the writing though. Paint, pencils, pastels and brushes are everywhere. Spock is bustling behind Effies head as she turns round.

"Oi! Stop trying to tidy up!" she smacks him on the elbow awkwardly. It’s the only bit of him she can reach. "I know where everything is."

"How can you possibly?" he looks down at her, exasperated, "Every surface is covered in nonsense."

"To you, maybe, Spockywok. But I am an artist. It's all needed for the next book."

"You're a writer?" Nyota asks.

She turns back to her and smiles. "Surprisingly quite successful. They give me advances and everything."

"You in fact know of them Nyota." Spock says as he sits down with the tea tray. "Effie writes the inspector Carol books you enjoy so much."

She gasps. "You don't!"

"I do."

"I love those books! Half the crew are reading them! Oh God, did Spock tell you-"

"That the good Captain made the whole crew read the first one cos it's his favourite? Yeah, he complained for weeks." she sticks her tongue out at her cousin.

The inspector Carol series is one of the most successful book sagas in Alpha quadrant. Nearly everyone has heard of inspector Carol but E. S. Grayson was incredibly elusive, although apparently very good at answering fanmail. All the studios in Hollywood had begged for the rights, and half the off-planet ones as well, but the author refused to sell. She never showed her face in public but was on all the fan forums and would often comment on peoples fan art or fan fiction. They were in fact so popular that they had been published in physical form. Both paper and hardback. Jim had the whole series in first edition on his shelves in his quarters.

She wasn't entirely sure why the stories about the stoic elf detective and his adventures through London with his various supernatural friends in what was called the 'lower city' were so popular, but it had been translated into more languages than Nyota could speak. She had a feeling that it had something to do with the fact that there were references to almost every single Alpha Quadrant culture, from Shakespeare, to Surak, to Klingon poetry.

"You were expecting someone taller weren't you?" Effie asks, grinning at Nyota. She blushes.

"Well, I kinda expected you to live in London." she admits.

"Oh I do for some of the year." she says, sipping the tea Spock has placed in front of her, "But this is where I can really write." she gestures around her. "I feel as if you may be bored by the upcoming conversation dear one." she says to Spock, patting his arm. "Why don't you go and unpack and Nyota and I can have a chat about your favourite fictional character."

Spock sighs and excuses himself, heading up the stairs.

"Don't worry about him," Effie turns to her, "He knows all my plot bases. So, you have questions."

 

They spend the next two hours talking about the books. Effie is incredibly open about it all, much more than Nyota thought she would be. No question is too silly, no detail overlooked.

"Now. That’s all well and good but you haven't asked your question." Effie says as they finish up their second pot of tea.

"I don't understand." Nyota says, "That's all I've been doing all morning."

"Ah," says Effie, a twinkle in her eye, "But not the first question. The one you've been wanting to ask all this time, but haven't. Out of politeness I think."

Nyota looks again at Effies blue-tinged skin and the way she holds herself, like her bones don't work. Moving too much seems to cause her pain, but she is very good at hiding it. Her skin feels warm to the touch when she takes the darker woman's hand, so it can't be cold that makes it that way.

"Alright." Nyota says, "Why is your skin blue? And is it linked to your lack of mobility?"

She smiles broadly. "Why yes it is!" she declares proudly, like Nyotas discovered warp theory. "Now watch closely." Effie gets a knife from underneath a pile of papers and cuts her thumb on it. Blood oozes out like it should but instead of red it is an incredibly vibrant blue colour. Nyota stares at it. She thought blue bloods were more an urban legend than anything else. McCoy will have a fit when he finds out she's actually _met_ one. This is insane.

"Questions breed questions." Effie says cryptically.

"Are you..." Nyota looks both ways and leans in conspiratorially. "... magic?" she whispers. She doesn't want Spock to hear her.

Blue blood is officially the laymans term for a condition that occurs when someone has alien interbreeding in their past. Generally it impairs motor functions as the blood is too 'thick' to get round the vessels. Hence Effies effort with walking. But hardly anyone suffers from it, and only a handful of cases reach adulthood. The myth is that blue bloods have mystical powers that, well, do stuff that's mystical.

Effie stares at her for a time, before she leans in and nods. "I'm telekinetic."

"Shut up!"

She raises her eyebrows uncannily like Spock, "No." she says, as the papers begin to float off the table and organise themselves.

"This is so cool." Nyota says.

"Indeed it is. I was sent to Vulcan when I was ten to live with my aunt and uncle in order to help develop my gifts. Can you imagine? Me? In little Vulcans school? It was carnage." she grins at the memory.

"I can imagine." Nyota laughs.

 

Spock comes back downstairs sometime later. The women have migrated to the living room which has books and paper everywhere, just like the kitchen. But also an easel with a watercolour of one of the scenes from the new book. It's the tall detective coming face to chest with a great hulking troll. He's backed up into a corner of a tunnel with a slim sword in his right hand that's dripping with green blood. His elven robes and hair are whipping around him as if he is moving quickly and his expression is one of fear. Behind the troll however, there is a masked crusader all in black that Nyota recognises as the character Phoenix. She has jumped and is flying through the air, swords drawn, towards the trolls head.

"You are using her again." Spock says simply as he enters the room and interrupts their conversation. He is in different robes to his travelling ones. Nyota thinks it silly to have so many different robes. For a man who lived in uniform Spock sure did like his clothes.

Effie turns, "Why do you hate Phoenix so much, Spock?"

"She is an easy character. One that just comes along when you have gotten yourself stuck. It shows poor writing, and poor planning."

Nyota turns to Effie, shocked. The books are always so well written.

"Oh don't give me that." Effie says, "I'm only human, and I forget my plots sometimes. There's a lot of weaving going on with these things. Phoenix is the character I use to bring them all together. She is an omniscient force. And Spock doesn't like that I have a get out of jail free card." she grins at her cousin and he rolls his eyes.

There's a comfortable silence before Spock looks at her again.

"You are fatigued, cousin." he says.

She waves a hand. "I can stand up for more than an hour you know."

"But that does not mean you should. I have been meditating for four point three six hours and judging by the tea in your cups you have been in this room for two point eight six, during which time you have not sat down. You also have not taken any blood for the day. You should rest."

"Spock, I'm fine-"

"Sit." he says in a manner that suggests finality. She plonks herself in an armchair not unlike the one Giles has been snoring in, only with less hair on it. Nyota can see the relief on her face as she sits down and Spock goes to one of the cupboards. She feels terrible. Effie clearly didn't want Nyota to think she was tired. Spock brings back a machine and Effie proffers an arm to him. He sticks in the needle and turns it on. Blood comes pouring out and collects into the machine. Spock takes her hand and squeezes it.

"Rest. Nyota and I shall take Giles for a walk." at the mention of his name the Sehlat jumps awake and is trying to lick Spocks face. Effie smiles weakly at him and he gets her a blanket and stokes the fire.

She's already asleep before they get out the door.

 

Giles is having a great time, running all over the place. Spock has been walking quietly, hands in his pockets, and Nyota is silent beside him. They are nearly at the top of the mountain now, after one and a half hours, and she looks down to see the tiny cottage nestled at the bottom with the track leading back to civilisation and the tiny, zigzag path they came up the mountainside on.

"Before the road was built, this path was the only way in or out of the valley. Everything had to be carried in. And the cottage was the tollhouse where all the goods were documented. This was one of the only valleys where spring wheat could grow within twenty miles. It was all carried out to the town over the ridge." Nyota looks at Spock, surprised by the sudden history lesson.

"Do not feel guilty over Effie. She has always tried to keep up with the rest. The fact that she cannot does not stop her. She has my mothers stubborn streak." he smiles down at the cottage.

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile so much." she says to him.

He turns to look at her, and sits in the grass just off the path, legs crossed underneath him.

"I have always been more able to access my human side with Effie. Unlike most humans, she is not psi-null and we have quite a strong familial bond. I believe it has something to do with her condition. When Vulcan was destroyed I came here. I was very lucky in the fact that she had only lost an aunt, and not her whole species. She comforted me when no one else seemed able to."

She's not sure whether she's supposed to say something but doesn't want him to stop opening up to her. So she just sits down next to him, and waits for him to continue.

"So you see why it is so important to me that you meet her. And that she approves of you. She has always been there for me. Particularly on Vulcan when she came to stay."

She smiles as the tears roll down her cheeks. "I imagine she gave them all a run for their money."

Giles has come back, and is snuffling round her, seemingly distressed that she is upset. Spock clicks his tongue and he pads over to him, getting his head scratched for his trouble.

"Giles is the offspring of my Sehlat, Ichaya." he says, "I gifted him to Effie on our sixteenth birthday. She wanted to be independent, and I knew Giles would look after her. He acts as bodyguard and reminds her to rest and for her to take blood. He is incredibly loyal, though a little more docile than most of his species. I think that is her influence."

"You have the same birthday?" she asks.

He looks up from petting Giles. "Indeed. We were born at exactly the same time, fifteen light years apart, the likelihood of which is-"

She holds up a hand. "It doesn't matter. Just quite a big coincidence."

He looks out at the view. "Indeed."

They sit there for a time, happy in each others company, before they go back down the path. When they get back Effie is awake and writing furiously. The machine in her arm is beeping and flashing and Spock takes it out of her arm, putting a small plaster in it's place.

"Can't talk, zone." she says. Spock sighs and Giles yawns. Clearly this is not a new thing.

"I shall prepare some dinner." Spock says. "I am ninety nine point eight two percent sure that Effie will not mind if you read her books, provided you put them back where you found them."

Nyota kisses his nose, causing him to blush, and makes her way into the living room. She rummages around for a book and finds a very rare tome on betazoid love stories.  

 

She has finished the first two stories when Spock announces that food is ready. Spock is a very good cook and she always enjoys his Vulcan-Terran fusion. She has said that he should publish a cookbook, they're so good, but she just gets a withering look.

They sit opposite each other with Effie at the head of the table, still writing and completely oblivious to what's going on around her. Spock eats his food with one hand and spoon feeds Effie with the other. She eats it but Nyota is pretty sure she's just running on autopilot. About halfway through eating she declares herself done and looks up.

"Oh, are we eating? You know I was just thinking about food. I love it when you come to stay, it's like you can read my mind."

Spock puts down Effies fork as she picks it up. "I would have thought that would be obvious given the fact I am a telepath and we have a familial bond that allows us to speak with our minds in close quarters."

She laughs. "I forget how funny you are when you're away. Vulcan humour, gets me every time." she shakes her head concentrates on her food. Nyota feels as if she's missed something.

After dinner they adjourn to the living room. Effie clears some papers off the seats with her telekinesis and gets some desert wine and dark chocolate out of a cupboard as she sits down. She pours Nyota a glass in midair - something Nyota does not think she will be getting over very soon - and floats it over to her.

"You ever seen Spock drunk?" she asks, pouring herself a glass and unwrapping the chocolate for Spock simultaneously, "Because Spock is a fun drunk."

"I have no desire to become inebriated." Spock says from his position next to Nyota.

"You always say that, Spockypoo, but then we have a great time and a nice sing along."

"Sing along?" Nyota asks, looking between the two of them with the glass halfway to her mouth.

"Spock’s got a lovely voice. You know I can't believe he hasn't serenaded you. Would've thought that would be the first thing he'd do."

Spock rolls his eyes but eats the chocolate anyway, and as the evening turns to early morning the three of them are swapping stories and laughing - Spock not so much - and singing - he really does have a lovely voice - until Effie falls asleep in her chair and Spock carries her upstairs to bed.

When he comes back down he picks up Nyota, the wine, and the last of the chocolate and takes them up to bed, a wicked look on his normally impassive features.

Nyota thinks that she will get Spock drunk more often, if that's what happens afterwards.

 

Xxx

 

When Nyota wakes up her head is killing her and the space next to her in the bed is empty. She can hear rumblings from downstairs as the cousins mooch about. When she hears her name she listens intently.

"-in the writing desk next to my easel." Effies muffled voice comes up through the floorboards.

A pause.

"My mothers engagement ring."

Nyota gasps, hiding her head under the covers. She's sure they've heard her. If they have they carry on regardless.

"Its what you're here for isn't it? You asked me to keep it safe and I have. You wouldn't have bought her here unless you were going to ask her so take it."

Another pause, Nyota holds her breath the entire time.

"I am not sure..."

"Not sure of what? Come on Spock, this isn't like when we were kids and you got me to ask out T'lan because you were too scared to. I'm not going to ask her for you. You gotta do it properly. One knee and everything." Nyota can imagine the scowl Spock is giving her right now as she hides under the warm covers. She can hear everything so clearly. She hopes they didn't wake Effie with their activities last night.

"How can you be certain that she wants to spend the rest of her life with me?"

Another pause.

"You're a touch telepath Spock, and you may not be bonded but what I heard the two of you get up to last night does entail at least a _little_ skin on skin contact. And besides, she likes your laugh." Nyota blushes, mortified. Spock carries on speaking.

"What has that got to do with the situation at hand?"

Nyota can feel her eyebrows knitting in confusion as she listens.

"You have the worst laugh. Remember when we were sixteen and you decided to embrace your human side? Started wearing leather jackets and slicking your hair back. Everyone said 'you know Spock? Great guy. Little bit weird mind and a nasty temper but all round nice bloke. Never get a girlfriend though, got a laugh like he's having an aneurism.' Thats what they said Spock, and it was true. You have the single most unattractive laugh but her upstairs can't seem to get enough. Your laugh is a major flaw with you, but she doesn't even see it as one. You'd better not let that one get away. I mean it Spock." There is another pause and she is sure Effie is shaking her finger at him.

"Now if you don't mind, Giles and I are going for a swim." She hears chairs scraping and the front door opening and closing, then the sound of Spocks feet on the stairs. She quickly feigns sleep. As Spock walks in the door.

He tuts. "Nyota, I know that you are not asleep, which leads me to believe that you heard the conversation downstairs. How much did you hear?"

She opens her eyes sheepishly and looks up at him. Her man. Her Vulcan. He has the box in his pocket.

"The bit about your Moms ring." she says, sitting up and looking anywhere but him.

He looks at his feet for a bit. Then, "Would you?"

She looks at him, and there's the little boy again.

"Would I what?" she asks.

"Would you be content with me?"

Her lips quirk up. "I would be more than content." she replies.

He walks over to her and kneels by the bed, getting the box out of his pocket and opening it. It is honestly the most beautiful thing she's ever seen. Simple and delicate, but refined and practical. Exactly what she looks for in jewellery. 

"Then, Nyota Uhura, will you be my wife?" His eyes are so intent, though his face remains enigmatic.

"Of course I will." she smiles as he slips it onto her finger.

"Perfect fit." she says.

 

Xxx

 

The next few days fly by in a blur of relaxation that Nyota hasn't felt in god knows how long. She can see why Spock loves it, and why he adores his blunt cousin, and all too soon it's time to go.

She sends them off with a gift for Jim, 'as a thank you for spreading the word on her books, and a distraction from you two' and assurances that she will help plan the wedding if needed. Nyota waves until she can't see the house anymore and sighs. She looks down at the ring again and then to the man who put it there as they head back to the rat race.

 

Jim is the first person she sees when they get back. He's demanding to know everything she will tell him about this elusive cousin of Spocks. He's so persistent that at first he doesn't notice the ring. When he does he orders her to tell him the whole story until she manages to distract him by giving him the gift from Effie, which he tears it open like a child, sitting cross legged on the sofa. He takes out a note written in what Nyota now knows to be Effies legible hand.

"'Dear Captain Kirk,'" he reads aloud to her. "'I am so thrilled that my beloved cousin has found a friend in you. As you can probably tell he's not the most approachable.' I'll say. I like this girl. She values me." He grins up at Nyota and she rolls her eyes.

"'Spock has also told me what a big fan you are of my books, even going so far as to make your whole crew read them!'" He looks up at her.

"Shut up."

"I didn't say anything." she grins.

"Spocks cousin is _not_ E. S. Grayson. Shut up."

"Keep reading I wanna know what shes given you."

Jim seems a little taken aback by the whole thing, but carries on reading.

"'In light of this as a thank you of sorts I enclose one of my own drawings of the vampire Higgins. Before you open it, however, I must first apologise. Spock has told me a lot of your shenanigans and obviously I have seen your face in the news. I must confess Captain, that when I first thought of the character these two things coupled together to make me picture _your_ face. I apologise if me taking your features distresses you, but I promise I did not do it out of any malice. I just couldn't get the image out of my head.'"

Jims grin is so big that his face looks like it might split in half and Nyota is sitting forward in her seat.

"'This is the only drawing of Higgins that made it past the sketch stage, and depicts when Carol first meets him. I hope you enjoy it.

"'Kind regards,

"'Effie Grayson.'"

Jim looks up at Nyota with a gleam in his eye and tears the paper concealing the picture. It reveals an oil canvas with Jim on it. Well, pretty much Jim. The are a few subtle differences such as the fangs and the morning suit complete with cane and top hat. But the mischievous grin and glint in his eyes is exactly the same, as is the way he holds himself.

He immediately has the painting framed and hung in pride of place in his quarters on the ship. He doesn't shut up about it until they get the next mission, four months later.

Effie was right though; it _was_ a good distraction from her and Spock.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first of hopefully quite a few stories involving Effie.


End file.
